Android tablet shipments overtake the iPad in Q2 2013

More Android tablets have shipped worldwide than the iPad, according to a recent Strategy Analytics report. The report shows that Android had an increase in market share, and it managed to capture 67 percent of the 51.7 million units shipped (up from 51 percent of the market last year).

Analyst Peter King added this:

“Android is now making steady progress due to hardware partners like Samsung, Amazon, Google and White-Box tablets which, despite the fact that branded OEMs are lowering price-points and putting pressure on the White-Box manufacturers, are still performing well,” King added, “Apple iOS shipments were 14.6 million iPads in Q2 2013 which declined 14 percent annually. In the same quarter a year ago the first Retina display iPads were launched which could partly explain the decline as there were no new models in this quarter. However, to compensate that, iPad Mini which was not available a year ago, now freely available was expected to take the figure higher than 14.6 million”

With all that being said, let’s keep it real, this report highlights tablets shipped, not sold. So we wouldn’t recommend folks start burying Apple as the leader in the tablet industry. However, there is no doubt that Google and its partners are beginning to gain on Apple in who controls the tablet market.

“With all that being said, let’s keep it real, this report highlights tablets shipped, not sold. So we wouldn’t recommend folks start burying Apple as the leader in the tablet industry.”

Really? Maybe Apple still is the manufacturer to produce most tablets for the time being but they not only faced a sharp decrease in market share but also sold less tablets in total. Apple is on the best way to become a (at least for the moment lucrative) niche player. Closed shop approach may work in the US but the rest of the world is not so keen on this apparently.

Beautiful design is nice to have, but in the end it’s the inside and price that counts.